Blane White wrote:

> There has been some residue testing done on foundation that I have heard
> about.  This is from memory and I am sure Medhat Nasr can and hopefully
> will correct me if I am wrong but here goes.  Fluvalinate ( apistan)
> residues seem to be considerably reduced to the point of being
> undetectable by processing the wax into foundation but coumaphos is not.
>  Dee is right these things last a very long time in the wax combs in the
> hive as the ultraviolet light in sunlight is what usually degrades these
> materials in the field ( this is usually true for most pesticides ).

There are some interesting papers on Cumophose persistance, mostly
dealing with groundwater and soil contamination, but the worst case has
about a 200 day half-life when it is not subjected to any light but
buried in soil. And even then the half-life can be shorter. In water it
can be as little as seven days.

So it will be in wax for a while taking the worst conditions and
allowing for longest persistance. But then so will a lot of other
contaminants brought in by the bees. Just ask Jerry B for a shopping
list that they bring in.

I do not like cumophose and will not use it in my hives. It is a
dangerous chemical but so are a lot of chemicals we use in our home with
little problems since we are careful (and sometimes not) in their use.
Plus, the method of application (a strip) and the dose are not in the
category of another cumophose use, cattle dip for killing ticks where
you have gallons of it in large tanks.

To make a major issue of the use of pesticides in an attempt to create
bees able to co-exist with varroa and that there will be pesticide in
the wax is a non-issue. There will not be much left over after a few
years and it should have little impact on the bees even until then.

It is only a method, an a commonsense one at that.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Me